Online Rescheduling Tool for Biometrics Appointments for Form I-600, Form I-600A, Form I-800, and Form I-800A
On May 29, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services expanded its self-service tool allowing applicants, petitioners, their attorneys, and accredited representatives to reschedule most biometric services appointments before the date of the appointment for Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country.
The USCIS self-service tool to reschedule biometrics appointments was launched in June 2023 for a limited set of form types. The tool is another way USCIS is improving customer experience. By removing barriers and reducing burdens to applicants, USCIS is demonstrating the agency’s commitment to advancing the goals of Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government Mandates (EO 14058). Since its launch last summer, 97,276 biometrics appointments have been rescheduled using the tool.
Previously, applicants, petitioners, attorneys, and accredited representatives for these forms could only request to reschedule a biometric services appointment by contacting the National Benefits Center (NBC) Adoptions Unit. With this expanded use of the self-service tool, individuals who have, or create, an USCIS online account can reschedule most requests for biometric services appointments without having to contact the NBC Adoptions Unit. The new tool, however, cannot be used to reschedule an appointment that is within 12 hours, already has been rescheduled two or more times, has already passed, or was scheduled before the implementation of this feature on May 29, 2024.
The biometric services appointment rescheduling tool can be accessed via a USCIS online account regardless of whether the pending case was submitted online or by mail. Applicants, petitioners, attorneys, and accredited representatives will still have the option to contact the NBC Adoptions Unit to reschedule an appointment, but USCIS strongly encourages users to use the new tool to save time, increase efficiency, and reduce inquiry volume to the NBC Adoptions Unit.
USCIS issued guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to explain what constitutes “good cause” for timely requests to reschedule biometric services appointments, how the agency considers untimely requests to reschedule biometric services appointments, and the effect of failing to appear for a scheduled biometrics services appointment.
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